THE FISH SUPPLY

Press, Volume L, Issue 14993, 13 June 1914, Page 12

THE FISH SUPPLY

ijpROFESSOR PRINCE'S VIEWS

DEVELOPMENT URGENTLY NEEDED.

"Chrisichureh," declared Professor

T'rince. tho Canadian Fisheries expert, last evening, to a "Press" reporter— ' ■•"Christchurch should have tho cheapest ! . and most abundant supply of fish of any city in tho Dominion. You havo in fine neighbourhood of the Banks Penin- ? -sola an inexhaustible supply of good ( Jish. You havo Lyttelton as a handy '. port within a, few miles of the city. And yet 1 have had complaints that the peoplo of this city don't get as much fioh as they would like. 1 believe tho peoplo of Christchurch n~»re- - *-iato good fish, but the information given mc is that they cannot get it •at a reasonable price." A MARKET WANTED. "Now. why should this be?" continued the Professor, and proceeded to investicato tho causes occasioning this state of affairs. "Tho fault," lie said, "is. I think, largely due to the methods _,• handling and distributing lish. It soems to mo there should be an extension of tho market facilities here—t a municipal market should be formed. .Kxnerienco all over the world shows that where markets have been established by municipalities, or subsidised by Governments, they havo done a great deal to increase the demand for fish and to lower tho price to the public. Jt is not in tbe interests of tbe fish trade itfcelf that the sale of fish should bo. limited and that the prices should bo high. "In your locality here," said the Professor, "you have a tremendous quantity of fish. It has been said that t-ome varieties of fish havo been decreasinc near those shores, but I have evidence that there is still a very large quantity left, ar.d the catches could bo considerably increased. Tho apparatus and frear used are not. however, of a &un*i liiitly advanced trvne to secure ample supplies of fish. In Canada of late years, thero has been a great improvement in the boats and gear used, - and in Nova Scotia especially tho,fleets are of an up-to-date character. They aro provided with gasolono engines and aro able to move to aiid from the grounds w-ith great speed and 60 land their catches in tho best condition, SURPRISED AT IMPORTS. T havo been surprised, also," added 'Professor Prince, "at the quantity of imported fish used here. This is chiefly boneless .cod in boxes from England. It is a surprising thing that New Zealand people can afford to buy such fish as emokfcd cod and kippered herrings after it has been brought from the other side of tho world. This should not be when you have in your own waters plenty of fish that- could be prepared, in just the ' tame form. An export trade could easily be built up, he added, as well as satisfying the local market. . In Canada there were 80,000 fishermen, and now exports of fish were being made to the ' West Indies, tho Mediterranean, .-France, and Germany. There was no i > reason why New Zealand could not do something of the same kind. ; _ T te ?rofessor aI » said he was satisfied that there was a great future be- j fore the preserved fish industry in New .-■'. Zealand. This would meet both the ( local need and build up an export 1 trade. It would be valuable for ab- ] «orbing the surplus of a_ nnusnally " -largo catch. • '

> FEATURES OP REPORT. ' . Purpose of Professor Prince* * - visit, as everyone knows, x has been to prepare a report for the Gove-nment r .■•upon the development of New Zealand's fishery rosourcee. The Professor antir able to present a. most - - toroprehexisive report to the Minister of Morijie about the first week in July ' I he re Pprt presented then to the Minis- *' J b6 A one more Si ih£n f ? Om C s n ??* ,ater - report *h*uM be available to Parliament this :■■ bo^ioi^rfr* 8 rf th * n *°* *® . r ■ '• plater pnterprise in fishing ; - and improved ehips^nd ediblequa - ;...-■ -wes. They could be landed on the , a ohalkng chamber on the boate ' tion SSiL fo " 1 transporta- - — nKjreased thf^oght : made," he said "^Pt MUD mportince i the S.rS^ l«en cases where, when the herriSS ' tween tL n W a 6 «°nnexioii bexweon tbe presence of herrincs and fore the best of xtsults would foUow ;:fct& Drfthe herring fO X OTHER POINTS. < «r?° me * recommendations to the GovS u ?? a P llllO would be in- ; frl?n be t £ ou 2 bt , te could say that from the sportsman's point of* view I conditions We were faTmore LtklH tor s_ttan in' most countries. So far Sf^f^'T^v 1 "? «°™*™ d, he did not see that, tho fishermen bid very . much to complain about, seeing that jm a few hours they could reach rivers ; which contained abundant supplies of jtrpnt. Certainly, he thought the local men were rather fortunate. - Yesterday the Professor visited Lake jlSUesmere, and conferred with the professional fishermen, and also visited the .(Lower Selwyn, where the anglers in f- the river make their headeprartera. In .'the afternoon he received deputations /from local anglers, and discussed many the sport with them. To-day .; Jμ will continue his enquiries amongst 'the local- "experts," and this evening, < £?'»• 3Jr J - D - will leave for ■<■ Weuington. to investigate the re»«bnrccß of. the Island streams.